Thursday, February 26, 2009

Blogger Aid Week: Some of my Favorite Blogger Aid Bloggers!

I went through the Blogger Aid member pages today, as I knew that many of my food blogging friends are Blogger Aid members and being of "a certain age" I sometimes just forget who is doing what in the blogging world. Of the many talented food bloggers who have joined Blogger Aid, I was delighted to find many old friends and old favorites. I'd like to share these wonderful blogs with you - I know that some of you know all of them, but if there are any that are new to you, I highly recommend that you go stop by and see what wonders they have to offer:

Jenn of The Leftover Queen. Jenn truly runs a foodie empire (in a good way). She runs, among other things, the Foodie Blogroll, which has just reached over 3000 members. She also is a use-things-up chef extraordinaire and a great educator in terms of sustainable/local foods. On Fridays she hosts "Finest Foodie Fridays" which showcases various food blogs, and she also runs the ever-popular, monthly Royal Foodie Joust - there's always something fun going on at Jenn's place.

Peter G. of Souvlaki for the Soul Okay, so even if you're the most selfish person on the planet, you NEED to buy the Children Are the Future Cookbook for a totally selfish reason - Peter G. is submitting his souvlaki recipe. From the pictures I saw, it is justifiably famous and from all of his creativity and superb photographs, I have a Down Under vacation every time I visit Peter's blog. And for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it's such fun to go over to Peter's and see his beautiful photographic eye capture goodies from the opposite season. His posts this winter have gotten me through the worst of Michigan doldrums.

Bren of Bren's Flanboyant Eats. Bren has chosen the best title for her blog, because she is indeed flamboyance in essence, and I mean that in a totally rockin' good way. B shares her Cuban heritage, family gatherings and up and coming food and entertainment career. B has got to live one of the most interesting lives anywhere, and when you combine that with her extraordinary creativity in the kitchen, you know it will be a party. View her blog with mojito in hand!

Maggie of Dog Hill Kitchen. What can I say about Maggie? Well, she's one of those folks who makes me proud to live in Michigan (she does, too). Maggie cooks dairy-free and includes many vegan recipes that are simply spectacular. The combinations she puts together astonish me on a daily basis. I've also been lucky enough to taste Maggie's cooking, and I'll tell you, she is "da bomb"! Truly. I've heard something about a plan for cherry cupcakes for the cookbook, and if that rumor is true, I know they're going to be outstanding, because nobody does cupcakes like Maggie.

Marye of Baking Delights. Okay, so I can't be grateful enough to Marye, because basically, she taught me to get over my fear of baking. I never would have thought I could learn baking in Michigan via a teacher in Texas, but through Marye's entries, I did just that. My family would bow down to her if they could. Seriously. Who knows, she may even have strengthened my marriage. And if you want to talk food porn, just see the shots of Marye's luscious desserts. Visit Marye's blog early and often, just throw your calorie counter to the wind when you do so!

Susan of Sticky Gooey Creamy. Okay, Susan has been my other baking tutor. Susan does up EVERYTHING well, from what I can see, but from a personal standpoint, she introduced me to Dorie Greenspan through Tuesdays with Dorie. After several months of drooling over Susan's blog, D bought me my own copy of "Baking: From My House to Yours" for Christmas. We've all been having fun ever since. The other thing that astonishes me about Susan is that whatever recipe I'm most thinking of trying from the book, she seems to have just written about - beautifully. Also, her photographs are such that I'm sure she has a secret career in a bakery.

Michelle of Bleeding Espresso. Bleeding Espresso was one of my first "regular" blog visits. I don't even remember the way I found it, but it continues to be one of my favorite stops. Michelle's warmth and heart come across in everything she does, and her fine writing skills never fail to satisfy. She was the one who introduced me to What's Cooking Wednesdays, and she also has a marvelous feature called "Love Thursdays" where she gathers images of hearts and love from all over. Michelle also has run her share of food events, including from the silly (but fun) World Nutella Day, to a wonderful event that brought awareness to ovarian cancer. Michelle is also a crackerjack cook, and her What's Cooking Wednesday entries are always mouthwatering, but generally in reach, which make them all the better.

Ben of What's Cooking. Ben was another early food blogging buddy - Ben's enthusiasm and love of food and people are contagious. Additionally, he has waged his own campaigns for healthier food, for educating U.S. folks to the fresh cuisine that is true Mexican cuisine, and to creating wonderful meals on a budget. Ben is also a wonderful networker, and like Jenn, has pulled many people in through his projects and challenges. In the kitchen, Ben always puts a new spin on old favorites, whether they be Mexican or more traditional "American." I simply can not read Ben's blog if meal time is coming up, because I know I'm not going to come near what he's created and it just. makes. me. sad. His entry for the cookbook are avocado-corn muffins - how delicious do THEY sound? I can't wait!

Nuria of Spanish Recipes pic by pic. Nuria - huge heart and even greater talents. Nuria will teach you about Spanish cooking and Catalonia in depth and in beauty, and then she'll throw in a dash of humor and often a twist of some wonderful music. Nuria's joy in life and in cooking is completely infectious and her generosity with her posts and patience in answering our questions (she is definitely the go-to lady about squid and some other things that we narrow Americans might not use regularly) and I never fail to learn something wonderful when I go to visit. Like Peter G., I always feel like I'm on vacation when I visit Nuria's blog, and in this economy, with my lack of REAL ability to go on vacation, this is a rare gift. So turn up the tunes and wander over to Spanish Recipes!

Bellini Valli of More Than Burnt Toast is another food blogger of huge heart and huge talents. Now, I have to also say, that I'm persistently in a fit of jealousy when I visit her blog because she lives in NW Canada, which is my dream place to live, and the photo montage in her banner leaves me almost in tears every time I see it. But, putting jealousy aside, I've noticed over time that whenever there's a good cause to be supported, Val is right on it. She also has impeccable taste, is a fabulous "seasonal/local" cook, a fan of Ina Garten and has Greek background, so could there be any better combination? I think not. We can learn all sorts of cross-cultural references, find the freshest of recipes, and learn about anything that's happening to help others via blogging by visiting Val's site. She's truly a treasure of the food blogging world, and it's no surprise that she'd be a founder of Blogger Aid.

Now, I have a confession for the last two blogs. These are NEW favorite bloggers, not old ones. Having said that, both Ivy of Kopiaste and Giz and Psychgrad, her daughter, of Equal Opportunity Kitchen have long been known in the food blogging world. I'm ashamed to say that although I would see their names frequently on blogs I visited, I did not visit theirs... why? Well, honestly, time constraints. Sometimes, I think we all get caught up in our regular "groups" and the idea of adding new visits is overwhelming, but again, how could I resist exploring the blogs of the other two founders of Blogger Aid?

Ivy of Kopiaste. Ivy greets us with "kopiaste" a Greek term used to invite you to share food. She even shares her kitchen via a lovely photo on her "about" page. (And Ivy, I'm so envious of your housekeeping skills!) Ivy set out to record her Greek and Cypriot recipes, and not surprisingly, she is absolutely as talented as this entire community of food bloggers that I've gathered here. Ivy is also all about using fresh, unprocessed ingredients and she is also a wonderful teacher about Greek and Cypriot culture and life. Her photography is lovely, and her recipes even lovelier (maybe?) Also, not surprisingly, Ivy's blog is wall-to-wall badges and buttons of events and projects that she's involved in. It's also another wonderful "vacation" blog. Pour yourself some crisp white Greek wine and join her for a wonderful tour of the Mediterranean.

Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen. One look at the banner of Giz and Psychgrad's blog, and you know you've come to a good place. In fact, I will really, really need to go eat something after I finish this post, because yikes, I'm so hungry now after looking at everyone's amazing recipes and photos! It's clear that this is another "heart" blog with all kinds of events and ideas showcased on the sidebars, along with wonderful recipes and photos in the center. There's also a wonderful dash of humor, and Giz and Psychgrad both write in a wonderfully entertaining manner. Additionally, Giz has donated some of her fine jewelry-making skills as a fundraiser for Blogger Aid, and you can see her work through her site as well.

Wow, Jen! I am so very honored by your putting me in a group with some of my very favorite bloggers! I am in such good company, and of course we ALL are in good company being featured here on YOUR blog.

Thanks so much for doing this for the Blogger Aid community! It is such an awesome cause and all the best bloggers seem to be a part of it! As I have always maintained - food bloggers really are the nicest people!

I cannot but also say WOWWWW! First of all, I am jealous I have not thought of making a similar post. Thanks very much Jenn, I also blush with the lovely words you have expressed about me. There are a lot of bloggers we see at many of our friends' blogs but I wish the day had more hours so that I could visit all of them. Now that we have met through BloggerAid I shall be visiting you more often.

Thanks for the glowing review! I hope I get another chance to cook for you. I'm really excited about the cookbook. I'm a fan of the food of so many of these bloggers and I think it will be an interesting collection.

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